The Alpha's Touch Boxed Set (14 Book Bundle)

by Taylor, Tawny

  He picked up his cell phone and made a quick call in which he spoke Papiamentu, pocketing the phone right after.

  Jessica didn’t look around for the next ten minutes. She was focused on eating and drinking. She looked up in surprise when a man in a white chef’s uniform entered the gazebo. He put a plate in front of her and lifted the stainless steel dome.

  “Bon appétit,” he said in perfect French.

  Before she could thank him, the man was gone. The dish of English muffins, poached eggs, ham, and hollandaise sauce was delightful. It was served with seasoned breakfast potatoes and slices of tomatoes on the side for decoration. She didn’t ponder whether she was still hungry or not and simply plunged in.

  “Good?”

  She nodded and continued eating. It was without a doubt the best breakfast of her life. Across the table, Ryker sipped his coffee and ate a few pieces of fruit. Mostly, he was watching her.

  “This dress looks exquisite on you.”

  “You should know, you chose it.”

  “You do not like it?”

  “What I don’t like is that you went to my hotel room and stole my stuff.”

  “No,” he said calmly. “I had some of your belongings transported, it is not the same.”

  She hated the amused glint in his eyes and drank coffee before she said something that would get her killed. She listened to the radio and focused on the song, Nadia’s Life of a Stranger.

  Suddenly, Vurnon appeared. He glared at Jessica before whispering into his boss’s ear.

  “All right, thank you. Tell him I will call him back.”

  Before he left, Jessica noticed there was a large white bandage across his nose. Come to think of it, he’d had that the night before but it hadn’t registered.

  “What happened to him?” she inquired when they were alone again.

  “I told you I had dealt with him for hitting you.”

  “You broke his nose?”

  “He should not have hit you.”

  His tone of voice was pleasant but she detected hints of anger in it. He was a man who hated being defied. Still, he had done that to avenge her. She wasn’t sure how she felt about that.

  “Can you tell me why I’m still here right now?”

  “How do you mean?”

  “I think… I think you believe me, you believe everything I told you last night. So why am I still here? Why am I still… alive?”

  She’d eaten most of her food but now she was full. She set the silverware down and pushed the plate away.

  “You think I am a murderer?”

  “We already established that you’re a kidnapper. Murder isn’t much of a stretch.”

  “I do not usually kill people.”

  “Usually?”

  “I must leave room for special situations.”

  She swallowed audibly and then covered her nervousness by wiping her mouth and hands on the linen napkin.

  He stood up. “Come with me, we will talk.”

  He gave her his hand but she didn’t take it. She followed him out of the gazebo, bringing her coffee because there was no telling when she’d be given another, and they strolled through the garden. There were flowers everywhere, trimmed bushes, majestic trees. With the warm sun on her, it was perfect and she hated herself for feeling this way at this particular moment.

  “Jessica, I am a businessman. I have an enterprise specializing in imports and exports. I bring in goods from a number of places throughout North and South America and ship them through the Caribbean. You have seen my warehouse yesterday.”

  “And you need armed minions for that?”

  That made him laugh. “Yes, I suppose they are not very subtle. I have been known to transport some other merchandise once in a while, to bring freight that I would rather be kept off official manifests.”

  “You mean you’re a smuggler.”

  “It is an ugly word.”

  “Drugs?”

  “Not anymore,” he replied without hesitation. “The bulk of my contraband nowadays is restricted to tax-free cigarettes and alcohol, designer fragrances from the Virgin Islands as well, that sort of thing. I bring merchandise for reasonable prices to people who need it.”

  “And yet you’re surrounded by thugs with guns.”

  “It is not a clean business, unfortunately. Specifically, I have one rival that is keeping me on my toes.”

  “You think I work for him? Is that why you’re holding me at gunpoint?”

  “No, I thought you worked for Sam Tollefsrud at the CIA. I think we have cleared that up now.”

  Jessica crossed her arms. “And if I was working for the CIA you would be even more miffed at me?”

  “If you were working for the CIA, Jessica, you would be at the bottom of the ocean. I have no love for your Central Intelligence Agency.”

  “What did they do to you?”

  “You mean what they are doing to me. I am currently being bullied by them into smuggling a parcel into Venezuela. As you can imagine, bullying does not sit well with me.”

  “Me neither, Ryker. And that’s what you’re doing to me, you kidnapped me and you’re bullying me. I just… I just need to find my friend. I just want Daphne back. I won’t say anything about you, about what you do.”

  “I am sorry about her, truly.”

  “Help me get her back, Ryker. I’ll do anything you want. Please…”

  He kept quiet and they continued walking. Looking around, she was surprised that there were no henchmen about. They were completely alone for the first time. When they reached the far edge of the garden, she had a good view of the corner of the house and the driveway.

  Among other cars, a Jeep was parked. There were no doors or top and she saw it as an escape route. Was this the opportunity she was waiting for? She glanced around once more to make sure the bodyguards weren’t there and decided it was time to be bold.

  Without giving it another thought, she threw her coffee in his face and she took off.

  “Ahh!” he screamed, more in surprise than pain.

  She was past caring and ran. Her shoes weren’t as ideal as sneakers but they were adequate. She felt the gravel crunch under her feet and began to sprint faster.

  “Jessica!”

  She didn’t slow down, didn’t look back. She ran and ran and ran some more. She went around the house and headed straight for the Jeep. If Ryker was as powerful and as dangerous as she thought, no one would dare steal a car in his driveway so it made sense to leave the keys in the ignition.

  Except that there were no keys to be found.

  She stood on the foothold of the car, her eyes darting everywhere at once. She flipped the visors because in the movies keys were always there. Nothing.

  She heard footsteps but was determined not to look over her shoulder. Instead she had to run away!

  She leapt out of the Jeep and dashed down the driveway. Her muscles were aching, her lungs were burning, and she cursed her lack of steady exercise. Her only solace was the road up ahead.

  The trees were opening up and she heard cars driving by. Yes! She was about to be rescued.

  She pushed herself to the limit and finally reached the street. Back home she would have called this two-lane thoroughfare a country road but here it seemed to be well traveled. A dark car went by and she waved at it frantically.

  “Stop!” she screamed.

  The vehicle didn’t indulge her. She resumed hurrying to the left so that the next car couldn’t help driving into her. Sure enough, another came her way.

  “Help, please!”

  The car not only slowed down – it was either that or running her over – but she noticed it was actually a police car. The driver stopped and she rushed to the uniformed man as he got out.

  “You have to help me, please! I’ve been kidnapped!”

  “Okay, okay. Calm down.”

  She kept her eyes on the driveway and right then Ryker appeared with Hubrecht and Vurnon in tow. They walked slowly, cautiously
keeping their distance from the police officer. She noticed Vurnon was holding his gun by his thigh.

  “These people, they kidnapped me! I’ve been here since last night. Please get me outta here!”

  She was heartened by the fact that the police officer wasn’t some rookie. The man was in his 40s and would undoubtedly know what to do.

  “Is this true?” he asked Ryker.

  Ryker didn’t say anything and when the cop reached for his belt Jessica became ecstatic. He was going to draw his gun and hold them off, maybe even shoot them. After everything that had happened to her, she discovered she was bloodthirsty.

  However, he didn’t draw his gun. He pulled out his handcuffs. That was okay too, better to have them in custody first.

  “Turn around, miss.”

  He grabbed Jessica by the upper arm and threw her against the car.

  “Hey, they’re the kidnappers!”

  She’d been right about him being a seasoned police officer; he was able to snap the handcuffs on her wrists even though she was wriggling.

  “No, they’re gonna kill me!”

  “Here, Mr. Prins,” he said as he walked her back to her abductors.

  She wanted to rage but all she could do was cry.

  Chapter 11

  Once she was back in her room, Hubrecht allowed her to go to the bathroom and then she was taken to the bed. They gagged her, blindfolded her, and tied her spread-eagle to the bed. She struggled, garbled muffled cries, but Hubrecht and the third, fat henchman held her firmly.

  Why had she tried escaping again? In hindsight, she was being treated well, fed an excellent breakfast, and Ryker had even been pleasant. She had gambled with her life, put everything on a long shot, and lost.

  She was disoriented, time becoming elastic. She went through sadness, followed by anger, and then she fell into gloom. For the first time she actually considered the appeal of death. The unknown was worse than anything. Dying would mean the end of her problems. But no, she wasn’t quite ready to quit yet.

  Hours passed, maybe days for all she knew. The room was stifling but at least her wrists and ankles didn’t hurt. It felt like she’d been tied up with silk scarves. They were just loose enough so she was comfortable but still too tight to slip out, something she eventually gave up trying.

  She dozed off a few times because there was nothing else to do. She thought about what she would say to the police if she was ever rescued. At first she wanted to see Ryker at the end of a firing squad. However, when she thought about it rationally she wondered if he really deserved it.

  He was somehow kind to her, he’d never struck her and had in fact punished the man who had. She had been given comfortable quarters and it’s only when she escaped for the second time, burning him with coffee in the process, that he’d had her shackled.

  Why am I even thinking about this?

  The likelihood of these people facing justice was nonexistent. Just when she thought she’d been rescued a police officer had brought her back to Ryker. He owned the police. He owned everybody.

  She was alone.

  * * *

  Hours passed before anything happened. She woke up and felt a presence next to her. Faint footsteps made the floorboards creak like a parent trying to be discreet placing presents under the Christmas tree. Then there was soft air displacement as if someone was bending over her.

  She irrationally held her breath as long as she could, afraid of what was going to happen, but her nerves got the better of her. She gasped and in the process inhaled deeply. She smelled floral aftershave.

  Ryker.

  “Are you awake, Jessica?” he whispered.

  She nodded nervously.

  “I wanted to apologize for these measures. I have done terrible things in my life but I have never taken pleasure in cruelty. I have never before taken a woman hostage. In fact, I do not like to think of you as such.”

  He sat on the bed next to her and she felt his body heat against her thigh.

  “You cannot possibly imagine the anguish it caused me when Vurnon hit you over the head. It broke my heart, Jessica.”

  His voice was strangely soothing and she was taken aback by how much his words affected her. She had seen what he had done to Vurnon. One had to be enraged to break somebody’s nose like that.

  “Here, let me remove this.”

  She felt both his hands glide by her head and she instinctively lifted it. He untied the gag and pulled it away.

  “Thank you.”

  “Are you thirsty?”

  Before she could answer, she heard sound coming from the nightstand and a second later a glass was at her lips. She didn’t think twice and drank. It was cold water, delicious and fresh.

  “Easy…”

  It was awkward to drink in this position but she managed small sips. It was wonderful after being parched for so long. She finally gave up, not because she wasn’t thirsty anymore but because she was out of breath.

  “Feeling better?”

  “Yes, thank you.”

  “Ask me if you want more.”

  “Why am I tied up, Ryker?”

  “I would like to say it is because you are a security risk but we both know you are terrible at escaping. However, I do have a reputation to uphold.”

  “A reputation? You think keeping girls chained up is gonna make you popular?”

  He snorted back a laugh. “It is the misfortune of my line of work to be thought incompetent if you are not violent. Eventually, word gets out to the right people that this is how transgressors are dealt with. It keeps future offenders to a minimum.”

  “That’s what I am, a transgressor?”

  “You were not until you threw coffee in my face.”

  That statement froze her. What if he’d been horribly disfigured? What if he was here for payback? Right then, she had a feeling he was hearing her thoughts and he chuckled.

  “You will be happy to know that the coffee was not scorching. The only thing you ruined forever is my shirt. I loved that shirt.”

  “I-I’m sorry. I just wanted to get out of here.”

  “Are you really afraid of me, Jessica? Do you truly think I would hurt you?”

  “No,” she quickly said before realizing it was the truth. “But Daphne is missing and she needs me. I have to find her.”

  She felt the mattress shift under her and his scent became more powerful. She felt his breath on her face.

  “What if I offered my help?”

  “Help with what?”

  “Finding your friend. What if I told you I could help you get her back?”

  His face was even closer to her now. She felt intense heat between them and it made her breathe erratically.

  “What do… Then just untie me so we can get her.”

  “Before, in the garden, you said you would do anything to get her back. Did you mean it?”

  Oh my God, was he suggesting what she thought he was suggesting?! Her first instinct was to be completely disgusted. Here was a man who had been holding her prisoner for a full day, a man who’d had her tied up against her will. And he wanted sex from her?

  On the other hand, in spite of herself, she kept thinking about the other night with him. It had been by far one of the highlights of her life. Just having him standing over her was giving her goose bumps. She absolutely hated herself for how she felt but her body was reacting on its own.

  “Tell me, Jessica. Are you prepared to do anything to get Daphne back?”

  “Yes,” she sighed.

  She felt him come even closer. His stubbles brushed her trembling lips as she held her breath. Objectively, she should bite him, anything to inflict as much pain as possible. She didn’t want to. In fact, she yearned to have his lips on hers, to taste him.

  “Are you certain?”

  “Everything is jumbled in my head right now, Ryker. But I’ve never been more certain of anything.”

  Chapter 12

  He closed the gap and at last his mouth was on he
r own. She found herself parting her lips and he responded in kind. She wanted him to go faster, go harder, but he denied it to her. She had no choice but to follow his pace.

  Then his hand was on her knee. It crept up toward the inside of her thigh, raising her dress at the same time. Why was she going along with it? Why did it feel so good?

  She felt his fingers on her creamy thigh, a place she never let anyone touch. Anyone except him. She breathed raggedly, betraying her desires and he picked up on it. His fingertips went even higher until they were immersed in her heat.

  “Ryker…”

  “I can stop whenever you want.”

  “No.”

  “No what?”

  “Don’t stop.”

  He stroked her just below her panties but didn’t go further. Instead, he used his other hand to undo the buttons down the front of her dress. His strong fingers made her nervous. She didn’t like being at anyone’s mercy but to have him stop was out of the question.

  He pulled her dress open so that she was essentially only in her underwear before him. Her body was covered with droplets of sweat from the hot room but also from stress. She imagined how she looked sprawled up half-naked on the bed, soaked and quivering under his touch.

  His left hand went to her chest and he groped her through the bra. It started sensually but soon grew in strength and intensity. His fingers dug into her flesh and she could feel her nipples hardening, aching to be squeezed.

  His hand was between her breasts and she realized he was tugging on the clasp; it was the only bra she owned which fastened in the front. Was that why he had selected it for her to wear? Had he been planning this all along?

  She didn’t care about the answer, quite frankly. She longed for him to touch her. She was willing to do anything to quench that growing thirst, to douse the burning fire consuming her.

  She somehow felt relief as her heavy breasts were freed at last. They spilled sideways but he swiftly caught one and kneaded it softly before moving to the other.

  “Aahhh…”

  She was about to suggest that he used both hands when he resumed rubbing the inside of her thigh. She shut her eyes firmly beneath the blindfold and allowed herself to bask in the pleasure. He pressed his fingers into her mound and made her agonize by not going faster.